Andy Powell given a chance to save his Wasps career

Wasps No8 Andy Powell will be given a last-ditch chance to fight for his club
future at a disciplinary hearing on Thursday. He was suspended for getting
involved in a brawl with football supporters in west London nine days ago.

Powell, who lost two pints of blood and needed hospital treatment to insert 10 stitches in a head wound after being struck by a bar stool, had been on the verge of signing a new contract at the club he joined from Cardiff Blues last year.

Although Wasps were angered by his decision to give his version of events to The Daily Telegraph, they intend to have an open mind until they hear his side of the story. With Wales also playing hard-ball, requesting a meeting with him, Powell is facing a battle on several fronts.

TheWales back-row forward has proved a popular figure at Wasps but will undoubtedly have to show enormous contrition and convince the club hierarchy of a genuine intent to mend errant ways. His attitude will be crucial to determining the outcome.

England prop Tim Payne was suspended along with Powell, but his ban was lifted once it became clear that the Welshman alone got himself caught up in the trouble; “a bit of banter”, as he put it, turning violent.

Powell, 29, is no stranger to controversy. Last year he was arrested in the early hours of the morning after being discovered on the M4 in Wales driving a golf buggy, taken from the Wales hotel following an international match. Powell was ejected from the Six Nations squad and played no further part in the tournament. He was fined and banned from driving.

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